Encarnacao, L. MiguelFechter, JurgenGrunert, ThomasStrasser, Wolfgang2014-10-212014-10-2119961467-8659https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8659.1530433The discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of 2D, 3D, and VR interfaces and their applicability to different types of systems, users, and information led to a series of stand-alone implementations that lack the possibility of realizing an integrated approach. The acceptance of the different interaction techniques will depend on their success in practical applications, i.e. with systems that are used by different users for different purposes. Since this acceptance is especially hard to achieve in computer-critical environments, such as medicine, we developed a software environment that allows for the development, integration, and user-centered evaluation of existing and new interaction techniques for their use in medical applications. This environment is equipped with an innovative message-passing functionality that provides the communication to and among application objects in 2D, 3D, and VR. Furthermore, the environment contains a component for user-adapted interaction and system support at runtime.10.1111/1467-8659.1530433433-442